The decision of whether or not we should be sending our children to daycare is possibly one of the most difficult ones to make as a parent. On the one hand, putting your kids into daycare means that they can socialize with other kids their age and have some new experiences that they wouldn’t have got at home. Plus, you can go and enjoy a fulfilling career (hopefully), which will make you happier.
On the other hand, daycare is expensive, and is it terrific for your child to be spending that much time away from you? Here are some of the things to consider. There are also plenty of other articles from a midwife that discuss how to make daycare work for both you and your child.
Money
The average cost of child care varies wildly from state to state. The most expensive place in the U.S. for childcare is Washington, D.C., at an average of $22,631 per year. The cheapest is Mississippi, with an average childcare cost of $4,822 per year.
The average salary in the U.S. is $49,764. So if you were living in Washington, nearly half of your salary would be going to childcare! And this is just the average salary, which means many people earn considerably less than this.
For some families, the reality is that working isn’t worth it financially when you consider the cost of childcare. However, careers are about more than just money. Parents are more than just providers, they are people too, and it’s crucial that they feel satisfied within their own lives and provide the best for their kids.
Money is an essential factor in the childcare decision, of course, but it isn’t the only one. Human life is more complex than a balance sheet. There are ways that you can ensure you have the money available; look out for money-saving advice online to try and save a little every month. When money isn’t a problem, the decision becomes easier.
Benefits for your kids
Asking whether childcare benefits children is a broad question that isn’t possible to answer. The answer depends on the individual child and the individual childcare facility. What is important is to have a daycare center that provides flexible full-time daycare in Round Rock or wherever you are.
Studies around whether childcare is a positive or a negative thing for children, in general, are also still ongoing; there isn’t a definitive answer. However, remember that many people looking after your children will know how to get the best out of every child.
A good nursery with well-trained staff like this Weston-Super-Mare Nursery could benefit your child. By interacting with staff at the nursery, they are likely to learn things and have creative opportunities that they won’t have at home, purely because the nursery staff aren’t you and will therefore have different knowledge and experiences to impart.
Finding the right daycare center is the key
Your child could thrive with the proper care but don’t assume all daycares will be the same. It is not always easy to find the best fit for your needs. However, when you do find a nursery that suits your child well, it can be exceptional for your child and make a massive difference in their life. You need to know where to find them. Do plenty of research, ask other parents for their opinions to discover what they think about a place you’re considering, and “shop” around for the best.
Doing this could help you to avoid sending your child to an understaffed facility that lacks adequate supervision. This might negatively impact your child. Some studies indicate increased aggression in children in these cases, and this could be because they did not receive the attention they needed. You can avoid this by doing some research into your chosen care facility. Accordingly, if you are looking for some good daycare facilities in the Texas area, you can click here to view the list.
Benefits for you
Another consideration is whether you would benefit from sending your child to daycare. If your career is essential to you, sending your child to daycare allows you to pursue your ambitions, which could make you happier and, therefore, a better parent.
You can still spend time teaching your child and watching them grow at home after work, but you have the best of both worlds.
What Should You Do?
Whether or not to send a child to daycare should be based on which option will provide the greater level of happiness and well-being to everyone in the family because this will ultimately significantly impact a child’s life.
Parenting is fraught with guilt and ideas about what we should be doing, which are not helpful because human beings are individuals who can’t have blanket rules applied to them. What works for one family won’t work for another, and that’s great! It makes us all individual and allows us to design a life that makes us truly happy. Consider the above points to help make your decision.
